Remote learning model going strong

PARENTS supervising their children as they hit the books must remember they’re helping their kids switch to remote learning, not home schooling, says Jan Juc mum Carmen Clifford.

Ms Clifford’s son Noah has comfortably adjusted to what is a new way of delivering education across Victoria, but the Year 11 Surf Coast Secondary College student said he’s missing the classroom and schoolyard.

“Noah did say ‘If I wasn’t in Year 11, it would be a lot easier’. But with Year 11, he’s sitting there all day from 8.45am til 3.30pm,” Ms Clifford said.

“Once the school brought in video conferencing last week, it made it a little bit more personalised, which I think helped with just seeing faces.

“It’s the social aspect that students are missing, especially for boys, I think. They don’t pick up the phone and say hi to their mates like girls do.”

On top of his Year 11 subjects, Noah is undertaking Business Management at Year 12 level.

Ms Clifford, who is a member of the college’s council, said with help from husband and primary school teacher Nick, the pair were rather impressed by how well Noah had adapted to remote learning.

“Parents need to give themselves a break and go ‘Well, I’m not the teacher here, I’m the parent. I can only help so much’.

“The teachers at Surf Coast have been very, very supportive and open to any emails and questions.

“It’s a different way of learning, and it’s not going to replace the classroom, that’s for sure, but it will help some kids, and other kids will fall behind.

“It’s like that in the classroom anyway. Some kids enjoy the classroom, others don’t.”

Surf Coast Secondary College principal Erin Wright said teachers, students and the college’s parent community had been discovering new methods to help make the transition as seamless as possible.

She also said as the school’s leader, she’s tried to listen to what students want and how they could feel supported.

“It’s a challenge to make sure that we have a balanced approach to what we’re doing and that we’re being as supportive as we can for everybody’s mental health and general wellbeing.

“We have incredibly wonderful staff here at Surf Coast. They’re highly collaborative, very supportive of each other, and that hasn’t changed. I’m very proud of that in our current situation.”

Of the 975 students enrolled at the college, less than 10 are learning on campus.

The principal said this year the school implemented a new online learning system which has proven its value during this time, and that digital technology had been a key part of the college’s pedagogy since its opening in 2012.